Australian, New Zealand and SouthWest Pacific Anchorages

Hi everyone,

This is a technical post.  It follows on from previous posts on Western Australian and New Zealand anchorages.  We've now compiled additional anchorage, mooring and marina waypoints to cover Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

Overview of waypoints in OpenCPN

The new waypoints were compiled from Terry's Topics GPX files and our own research.  Terry's appear to have been provided mainly by SVs Banyandah, Black Duck, Matilda, Olena and SuAn.  Many thanks to them!  We removed most of the many duplicates in Terry's files.  Useful comments and links were retained.  The MinScale parameter was set on most waypoints to avoid obscuring underlying charts - so zoom in to find them all.  And the symbols used were modified to follow our convention.

Our waypoints are also available as KMZ files for GoogleEarth.  The latter are useful for exploring anchorages and marinas in the Google Earth Pro app.  This is especially helpful if you don't have satellite 'charts' installed in OpenCPN.  This of course presumes you have Starlink aboard since Google Earth Pro needs a high-speed internet connection.

With correct setup Google Earth Pro can show your current location via a serial NMEA013 data feed from your boat network.

Our Australian waypoints from Cocos-Keeling to Norfolk Island

Our SouthWest Pacific waypoints for Fiji, Vanuatu & New Caledonia

The screenshot below shows how we arrange our OpenCPN persistent layers.  Each is read from one of our GPX files.  The number of waypoints in each file is shown.  Loading the GPX files as layers avoids inadvertent moving/editing of waypoints.

In addition to our GPX and KML libraries we also have a KAP library.  The KAP library contains satellite 'charts' for use in OpenCPN.

Here are links to the three folders holding this data on our Dropbox site:

• GPXlibrary
• KAPlibrary
• KMLlibrary

None of this information is for use in navigation!

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Trust all's well where you are.

Ponui Island to Te Kouma Harbour

Hi everyone,

Today we sailed from Chamberlain Bay on Ponui Island to Squadron Bay in Te Kouma Harbour.  Te Kouma is on the Coromandel Peninsula.  It was a fantastic light airs sail with mostly ESE winds of 5-8 knots.

Coromandel Peninsula ahead

Here are the usual screenshots...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

This was an amazing passage.  Zen Again surprised us, which doesn't happen very often.  When the ESE breeze settled in at 9-12 knots apparent hard on the wind on starboard tack we got her "in the groove".  We then released the tiller.  No hands, no lines, no vane gear, no autopilot.  She just sailed onward, adjusting course to the lifts and knocks.  She held on a perfect close hauled course for 40 minutes.  A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

During the crossing to the Peninsula the tide was flooding S.  So we were "lee-bowing" the tide, heading NE but tracking ENE with the current pushing us S.  Very nice.

Chamberlain Bay astern

No hands!

We only took control when it was time to tack S.  In fact we overstood since we couldn't believe she'd keep course as we approached the islands off Coromandel Harbour.  She did.  From there we close reached S to Te Koumo Harbour.

View E into Coromandel Harbour

Approaching Te Kouma Head

Te Kouma Head

Squadron Bay in Te Koumo Harbous is very well protected from E through N to SW.  We're here with about 10 other boats.

Inside Squadron Bay

We expect to stay here for at least two nights.  Hull cleaning continues!

Trust all's well where you are.

Waiheke Island to Ponui Island

Hi everyone,

Yesterday we sailed from Oneroa Bay on Waiheke Island to Chamberlain Bay on Ponui Island.  Ponui Island is immediately SE of Waiheke Island.  The wind was light and predicted to die but we managed to sail most of the way.

Sailing the N coast of Waiheke Island

Here are the usual screenshots...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

The wind was 4-8 knots S initially.  As we rounded Thumb Point at the NE tip of Waiheke Island the wind died and a NE- SE sea breeze came in.  Very shifty.  We motored the last couple of miles past Pakatoa and Rotorua Islands.  Unusually we were under full sail for the whole passage until the motor went on.

Oneroa Island astern

Sailing East

Approaching Thumb Point

Passing Thumb Point

Close-hauled S

Approaching Pakatoa Island

We anchored in Chamberlain Bay with 5 other boats.  Later in the afternoon we started cleaning the hull for the first time since Whangaroa Harbour.  The water's murky with about 2m visibility.  By sunset we were amongst 25 boats.

Afternoon in Chamberlain Bay

Chamberlain Bay dawn

We expect to stay here for a couple of nights.  Winds are expected to remain light.  Hopefully we'll complete cleaning the hull.

Trust all's well where you are.